Accession No
4548
Brief Description
compass and sundial toy made for the Children’s Encyclopaedia, English, early to mid-20th Century
Origin
England
Maker
The Children’s Encyclopaedia
Class
dials; magnetism; games; ephemera
Earliest Date
1908
Latest Date
1964
Inscription Date
Material
paper (card); metal (brass)
Dimensions
diameter 94mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Trevor Philip and Sons Ltd., London, on 06/06/1996.
Inscription
‘THE WONDER BOX SUN COMPASS AND SUN DIAL’ (front)
Description Notes
Two concentric circles of card, free to rotate, one inscribed with the points of the compass and the hours, the other with the hours only.
Condition good; complete
References
Events
Description
The magnetic compass consists of a magnetic needle attached to a compass card, graduated into angular points, and is used for navigation. The first known dry pivoted compass is dated as early as 1269.
The compass indicates the direction of the magnetic pole but there are problems caused by the difference between magnetic and true north (true north being the useful reading). The variation between the two must be calculated in order to obtain an accurate reading.
18/10/2002
Created by: Saffron Clackson on 18/10/2002
FM:39486
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